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Ser Maud Atlee
Ser Maud Atlee was a knight of Hab Spire Rise. While nominally a knight of his native House Atlee, conflict with his family and his deep friendship with Lord Odham Kendar led to him taking direct orders from House Kendar more often than not. He rose to prominence during the Interregnum, putting up a lackluster bid for Receivership and leading Kendar forces in several engagements. Early Interregnum Activity Ser Atlee began the Interregnum serving as bodyguard for Ywain Kendar. Ywain would later assign him to bodyguard, and spy on, his wife Layna Kendar. Because of this assignment, he was not present during Ywain and Odham's ambush of Lord Kavin Norn. While Maud was able to uncover some information on Layna's handmaidens, he was unable to dig up anything incriminating on Layna herself. He would later move into regular military service, including commanding Kendar Legions. Defending the Spire In the wake of the destruction and rebuilding of Fiber Tower, and especially the death of Lord Avitus Arkentek, a quiet war for control of the tower was waged by Houses Kendar and Djevak. Ser Atlee coordinated efforts in this shadow war from the Spires, and even personally informed sorcerers in the Low Halls of the Tower's control passing to Kendar's proxy, House Medus. As this effort was ongoing, word was raise that the undead that had been popping up throughout the Spires had suddenly turned hostile. Set Atlee led Kendar forces in repelling the Shamblers, easily defeating them and preventing further loss of life. Death at The Great Feast Ser Atlee attended the Great Feast as a sort of representative of House Kendar, along with Lady Layna Shau (formerly Layna Kendar and Layna Leibowitz) and her infant daughter with Ywain. Set Atlee participated in the games, fighting in the melee tournament and becoming injured, but revived by Kendar medicine. He also began to make his case for becoming Receiver to some individuals. Around this time a disturbance began to be made surrounding Maido Dakku. Several figures, including the members of House Raven and Petabyter Akvinsky, called for his arrest for war crimes in the conflict between the Depths of House Norn and the Deep Depths of Dakku's master, the King of the Depths. Dakku for his part claimed innocence for his crimes and the protection of the Church of Ascension and of House Djevak. In the heated series of exchanges that followed, young knight Zaros Raven of the Depths attempted to attack Dakku. Ser Atlee stepped in to stop Zaros, taking the blow meant for Dakku and dying. Layna also died soon after. Resurrection When Ser Atlee's body was returned to Hab Spire Rise, Odham Kendar decided to place him into the Support Throne, a powerful artifact said to be able to revive the dead. It worked on Ser Atlee, who came back to life as good as new. Ser Atlee had no recollection of any sort of afterlife occurring while he was dead. Visions at the Receivery A call for a vote to elect the next Receiver was raised in the aftermath of the debacle at the Great Feast. The newly revived Ser Atlee accompanied Lord Kendar and several other Lords of Hab Spire Rise to the Receivery. There, it quickly became clear that Odham's unpopularity was reflecting onto Maud, as Maud only received votes from Spires Lords. During the deliberations, Maud heard a mysterious voice coming from nowhere telling him there was a plan and to look for Crom's Chosen. Maud brought up this voice to the attending nobles, discovering that Lord Thule had also heard a similar voice. Thule was convinced that the voice was of Crom and was genuine, but Atlee had doubts. After the first month of deliberations ended without a sufficient amount of votes gathered for any one candidate, Maud returned to the Spires to lead in his Lord's absence, abandoning his bid for Receivership. Combating Heresy Back at the Spires, Maud conferred with Petabyter Avern, Petabyter of Had Spire Rise. Avern had believe that the visions of Crom people had been receiving were hoaxes until he heard Maud's account, which was sure of what he heard but highly skeptical of its source. Maud allowed Avern to do surgery on him to determine the source of the visions. This lead to the discover of tainted Sacrament coming out of Mold Marsh. Mold Marsh was the domain of Petabyter Quine, the Church figure who most publicly embraced the visions of Crom as true. Around this time Acting-Petabyter Akvinsky came to the Spires with news of Cromodule rabble raiding Orthodox Ascensionist strongholds in Dorith's End. This rabble was believed to have ties to Quine. It seemed a logical conclusion that Quine was behind all of these issues. Ser Atlee left for Dorith's End with many Kendar Lancers, the Behemoth, and authorization from Akvinsky to arrest Quine. When Maud and his forces arrived in Dorith's End, it was in the middle of a full scale riot. Quine's latest and greatest assault was in progress and the fief was in the middle of a full-scale religious war between the resident Orthodox and Cromodules. Maud quelled the fighting as he made his way to the Great Cathedral at Dredmor, which was said to be Quine's ultimate target. Along the way, someone began chucking Molotov cocktails at the Behemoth from one of the buildings. Maud directed the Behemoth to return fire. The return fire struck chemicals inside the building, causing them to explode and destroy the building. Quine's vestments were found in the rubble, indicating his death. Maud and his men were too late to rescue the besieged clergy at Dredmor, but they arrived in time to butcher Quine's rabble, avenging their deaths. Post-Interregnum life Ser Maud Atlee lived to a very old age, which many attribute to his revival by the strange technology of the Support Throne. He was appointed regent by Lord Odham Kender in case Odham died. He focused his efforts on maintaining Kendar supremacy within the Spires and on raising Odham and Ywain's children, particularly young Ywain Kendar, Odham's only son and heir to House Kendar. When Maud died, he left the fief in the still young Ywain's hands. Houses Maison and Atlee would take this opportunity to rebel, leading to a civil war within the Spires.